Windows 10 CloudBooks: Microsoft's strategy against Chromebooks

The minimum specifications for devices running Windows 10 Cloud to compete with Chromebooks in the education market have just been made public.

Windows Central has found a Microsoft Confidential document that describes the recommended minimum specifications for Windows 10 CloudBooks.

Windows 10 CloudBooks do not lie about their name: these devices were designed to compete with Chromebooks and embed the still unofficial cloud edition of Windows 10. Windows 10 Cloud and some compatible devices would however be presented at an event on 2 May in New York.

Not much to do with the cloud

Windows 10 Cloud, as far as we know it at the moment, has little to do with the cloud. This is a low-end version of Windows 10 designed to run only the applications contained in the Windows 10 Store. This is an evolution of Windows RT and Windows 7 Starter Edition. The update of Windows 10 Cloud to Windows 10 Professional will be possible say some testers.

The recommended minimum specifications of Windows 10 CloudBook published by Windows Central indicate that the first devices running Windows 10 Cloud should have at least Celeron Quad-core; 4 GB of RAM; 32 GB of storage (or 64 GB for 64-bit versions); A battery of more than 40 WHr; Fast eMMC or Solid State Drive (SSD) for storage. The pen and the touch pad are optional.

The disclosed document states that these devices will run the Windows 10 Cloud Creators Update (Redstone 2) and will not necessarily have to wait for Redstone 3, which will be released in September. This makes sense given that the school market is preparing for the re-entry from September to early summer. There is no mention of ARM-based CloudBooks in the document, but it is certain that Windows 10 Cloud will work on Intel-based and ARM-based devices.

Microsoft and its partners are directly targeting Chromebooks with these devices equipped with Windows 10 CloudBook explains the document. The lifetime of each battery cycle of these devices must be more than 10 hours, which in term of marketing translates to "all day".

I'm curious as to whether Microsoft will go to hardware with CloudBook, not necessarily with a Surface device, but with a high-end machine similar to the Chromebook Pixel.